Amusement structure



1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Y INVENTOR.

BY Z

AaToRNE/s.

v x. MILLER AMUSEIENT STRUCTURE Filed July 31 July 6 1926.

. edge meeting the wall 7 The walls 23, 23,

` parallel hand rails 37 and 37 24, 25 and 25 support the ceiling 26 which is parallel with the floor 19.,-

The room A has the rear wallV 27, the diagonal walls 28 and 28', and the front diagonal walls 29 and 29. These walls are all at right angles with the Hoor 16 andthe walls 28 and 28 are respectively at right an les with the walls 29 and 29.

he Hoor 16 extends into the corridor spaces 9 and 9 and forms the inclines or ramps 30 and 30', the inclined surfaces preterably gradually merging into the level front part of. the corridors as indicated at x'Fig. 1. The slanting walls 29 and 29 are between the incline approaches and the interior of the room A, the walls being perpendicular to the plane of the inclines but extending diagona ly across. At their outer edges these walls join the front edges of the front edges of the side walls 23 and 23 of the room B. The wall 29 has the door` way 31 and a window 32, and the wall 29 has a similar doorway 31 and a window 32', the doorways and windows being paralle] with the wall edges as clearly shown in Fig. 1. The walls 28 and .28 have the windows 33 and 33 respectively which are preferably opposite the windows 32 and 32 respectively so that persons in the corridors or on the inclines may look through the two opposed windows. The walls`28 and 28 may also have additional windows 34.

From the inner edges of the doorways hand rails 35 and 35 extend parallel with the walls 28 and 28 to form aisles 36 and 36. Inwardly of these hand rails are the forming the alsle 38 and 38', the rails 37 and' 37' terminating short ofthe walls 29 and 29 to leave passageways 39 and 39 near the stairways 20 and 20. r The windows, doorways and boards formlng the various walls are all at right angles with the floor supporting the walls so that there will be nothing to indicate that the walls are anything but plumb. Persons entering through the corridor 9 whose' Hoor gradually merges into the incline 30 along which the persons then travel toward the wall 29, the force of gravity tending to draw the person backward and this will take away some of thev attention which might otherwise be directed to the slanting wall 29. Scenery or some other attraction may be laced in the spaces 40 and 40 to be visi le through the windows 32 and 33 to persons traveling up theincline and this will further detract the mind. The persons then enter the room A along the aisle 36 and as this aisle extends diagonally along the slanting floor 16 gravity will tend to pull the ersonssideways as wellas backwards aus they will be lurched toward the rail 35 which they can take hold of to support and help themselves along. They then enter the aisle' 38 and are drawn forwardly and sidewise by the force of gravity toward the rail 37 and when traveling through the passageway 39 they encounter the stairway 20 whose steps are inclined rearwardly. However, as the stairway is plumb with reference to the fioor and sides of the room A and B and as the walls are plumb with the floor the impression given the persons is that the stairway is normal and with this concept in mind opposed by the inclination of the steps and the consequent effect of gravity the persons will be very much unbalanced and bewildered. A hand rail 41 is provided for the stairway 20. At the top of the stairway the persons reach the balcony floor 19 across which they will attempt to travel to reach the sairway 20. During such travel they will be pulled down the incline floor and itwill be only with considerable effort that rthe stairway 20 will be reached, and owing to the inclination of the steps which is contrary to the mental concept of the person 'there will be considerable sensation in going down the stairway and the hand rail 41 will be considerably used. The persons then travel throu h the passageway 39 and through the ais es 38 and 36 to the door 31 and then down the incline 30 and through the corridor 9 and exit passageway 11. Upon reaching the outer corridor and the exterior of the structure everything looks as plumb as before they entered and the persons are at a loss to account for their bewilderment and sensation while traveling through the inner structure.

Various installations and arrangements may be utilized to further bewilder the persons.. For example seats 42 and 43 may be provided with their seat sections parallel with the Hoor and their backs at right angles therewith so that relative to the floor and side walls of the rooms A and B the seats will look perfectly normal. Owing to the slant of the floor, when persons lirst attempt to sit down on the seat they will tlp backwardly with considerable force and will have a hard time to rise upafter getting seated. The floor boards 44 in the rooms instead of running longitudinally or trans` versely in the ordinary way, could run diagonally to the arrangement shown. All this would add to the mystery and sensation.

Une of the main features of my invention is to permit persons outside of the structure to look in land observe the strange attitudes and movements of persons traveling through the structure, and also to permit persons traveling through the structure to look to the outside. Persons passing the entrance and exit, passageways 11 ,and 11 may look through the' corridors and the windows and doorways'in lche walls 2S) and 29and see the persons vas the enter and leave the inner Structure.A 'I a so preferably provide sight ports 45 and 45" opening through the outer walls and 25 and the walls 10 and 25 of the room B. Through these ports persons passi!! the structure may peek in and observe he unnatural progress of persons through the rooms A and B, and also persons within the `room may look to the out- Side and t0 them the outside will appear all wrong. ln front 'of the wall 7 may be. place the ticket boot-h 46 behind which the Wall may have a sham doorway 47 with a transom 48 above 'it through which persons passing the booth or purcliasingtickets may look into the rooms B and A, and through which persons inside the rooms may look to the outside, the appearances in either dinatation being unnatural. .'thl Oduce a bewildering, mystifying and ,sensational structure so arranged that rsons on the outside may observe just enough of the unnatural movements of persans on the 'inside to induce them to go thro the structure. The structure thus does its own advertising and eliminates the need of expensive special or ballyhool advertising.

I do not desire to be limited to the exact construction and o eration shown as chan may 'be ma e which will come within the sc pe of the invention.

I claim as (iollows:

1. In an amusement structure of the class described, the combination of an outer structure 4having plumb walls and a level floor, .an intermediate structure having 'luinb walls and having its side walls par,- al'lel with but set lin a distance from the side walls of said outer structure to leave exit and entrance corridors, a room at t-he end of said intermediate structure extending between the side and rear walls of said outer structure, the floor of said room slopnv upwardly toward the rear wall of said ouer structure, front walls for said room at the ends of said exit and entrance corridors, said walls being at right angles with the ldoor of said room but set diagonally transversely of said corridors, and approach inclines from the front ends of said corridors to said diagonal walls merging into the floor of lsaid room, said diagonal walls havi ing entrance and exit doorways respectively.

2. In an amusement structure of the class described, the `combination of an outer structure having lplumb walls and a level floor, an intermediate Ystructure having plumb walls and having its side walls parlhil with but set in a-dlstance from the side walls o'saidouter structure to leave exit and entrance corridors, a room at the end of said intermediate structure extending between Athe side and rear walls of said outer structure, the 'floor of said room sloping upwardly toward the rear wall of said outer structure, front walls for said room at the end of said eXit and entrance corridors, said walls being at right angles with the floor of said room but set diagonally transversely of said corridors, approach inclines from the front ends of said corridors to said diagonal walls merging into the floor of said room, said diagonal walls having entrance and exit doorways respectively, and a second room communicating with the front end of said first room and extending between the inset intermediate walls, t-he floor of said second room being parallel with, but higher than, the floor of said lirst room, and a stairway between said floors.

, In an amusement structure of the class described, structure having plumb walls, an inner structure comprising a main room and a balcony, the floors and ceilings of said main room and balcony being parallel but said floors being in separate planes sloping upwardly toward the rear end of the outer structure, stairways connecting said floors, said balcony part 'being set in a distance from the sides of the outer structure to leave entrance and exit corridors for said main room, the oors in said corridors adjacent to said main room being in the same plane as the floor of said main room, walls for said main room perpendicular to thefloor thereof but diagonally across said corridors, and doorways in said diagonal walls.

4. In an amusement structure of the class described, the combination of an outer structure having a level floor and plumb enclosing walls, an inner `structure in the form of a room set within the outer stucture with its floors sloping downwardly from the rear end toward the 'front end of said outer structure, the walls of said room being vertical with its floor but being set at degree angles with reference to the walls of the outer structure, the floor of said room being extended forwardly to merge into the level of the fioor of said outer structure whereby to form an approach incline to said room, and a doorway in the wall of said room at 'the end of said incline.

5. In an amusement structure of the class described, the combination of an outer structure having a level door and plumb walls,

the combination of an outer a corridorwithin 'said outer structure, an

incline leading upwardly from the inner end of said corridoi', a room within said outer structure :having a wall placed at right anglee with the floor plane of said inclines but extending diagonally across so Athat all the lines of said walls will appear perpendicular to a person walking up the incline,

and an entrance opening in said Wall to said rooms the floor of said rooms, sloping in the same direction as said incline.

6. In an amusement structure of the class described, the combination of an outer structure comprising outer and inner Walls forming a corridor visible from-the exterior of the structure, the floor at the inner end of said corridor sloping gradually upwardly in one direction to form an approach, an inner structure in the form of a room having a wall at the head of said approach placed at right angles to the floor plane of the approach but extending diagonally across, an entrance opening in said wall to said room, the floor of said room sloping in the same direction as said approach, and a rear wall for said room opposite to said approach wall, said walls being at right angles with each other and said rear wall being at right angles with the room floor, said rear wall being visible through said corridor from the exterior of the. outer structure.

7. In an amusement structure of the class described, the combination ot an outer structure having plumbwalls, an inner structure comprising a main room and a balcony, the floors of said main room and balcony being parallel but slo ing downwardly toward the front end of said structure, the walls of said room and balcony being at right angles' with the respective floors, a stairway between said floors arranged with its steps paralle] with the iioors, a corridor Abetween the inner andouter structures visible from the exterior of the outer structure, the inner end of said corridor sloping upwardly to merge into the Hoor of said main` room, andan entrance wall for said inner structure set diagonally across the head of said incline but at right angles with the floor of the main room. Y

8. In an amusement structure of the class described, the combination of an outer structure having plumb walls, an inner structure comprising a main room and a balcony, the floors of said main room and balcony being parallel but sloping downwardly toward the front end of said outer structure, a stairway between said floors, the side walls of said balcony being parallel with the side walls of said outer structure and the walls of said main room being set diagonally, all the walls of said main room and balcony being perpendicular to the respective floors, a corridor between the inner and outer structures visible from the outside of the outer structure2 the floor of said main room extending into said corridor to form an approach incline, one wall of said main room being at the head of said approach and having an entrance opening to said main room.

9. In an amusement structure of the class described, the combination of an outer structure having plumb walls, an inner structure in the form of a room whose walls and iioor are relatively plumb but` which room as a whole is tilted with its floor inclined downwardly toward the front of the outer structure, an entrance passageway between said structures to said inner structure, and a sight passageway extending from the verti-` cal wall of the outer structure to the inclined wall of the inner structure through which passageway persons outside of tie outer structure may view persons passing through the inner structurer and through which persons on the inside may look to the outside.

10. InV an amusement structure of the class described, the combination of an outer structure having plumb walls, an inner structure having floors and walls at right angles with eich other but tilted as a whole to have its floors sloping downwardly toward the front end of said outer structure whereby said inner structure will be out of plumb relative to the outer structure, one of said walls ot the inner structure having an entrance opening, a corridor between said structures' leading gradually up to said entrance opening and visible from the exterior of the louter structure, and vision passageway extending rom the vertical wall of said outer structure to the adjacent inclined wall of the inner structure, through which passageways persons onthe inside of the inner structure may be visible to persons outside of the outer structure and through which persons on the inside may look to the outside.

l1. In an amusement structure of the class described, the combination of an outer plumb structure, an inner structure having parallel sloping floors spaced away from each other and walls all set at right angles to said floors, stairways connecting said different floors, a corridor between said structures, the floor of said inner structurel extending into said corridor to form an approach incline, the entrance Wall of said inner structure being set diagonally across the top of said incline but at right angles therewith, and an entrance opening in said wall, said wall and entrance opening being visible through the corridor from the exterior of the outer structure but appearing plumb to persons looking down the corridor whereby such persons may see others traveling along the incline and into said inner structure without-being able to account for their unnatural movements.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 24th day of July A. D., 1924.

JOHN A. MILLER. 

